How can I obtain real time data and real time data acquisition rate in matlab from a device(smart whiteboard) that is connnected to my dell laptop through usb?

I am working on a smart whiteboard project. The board is connected to my dell laptop through USB. If i write anything on board(any figure,text or anything), the data goes to my laptop. So,I have some problem: 1)how do I obtain those data 2)how do I know the format of those data 3)the pressure variation of the user(can it be obtained using dots per inch measurement?) 4)i have to also find out the rate at which someone is writing on smart board(speed).(which if i am correct can be found out using data rate) 5)the event handling(like when user switches from one option to another option etc.). It would be a great help if anyone can give me any ideas about these things. thanks

Answer 1

[Walter Roberson]

Does the whiteboard show up as a virtual serial port through USB, or as some other kind of device? Does the whiteboard use a GPIB via USB interface? If it does then you will need the Instrument Control Toolbox; if it is simple virtual serial then Data Acquisition Toolbox might help but basic MATLAB might be enough.

To know the format of the input, you will probably need the documentation for the device.

Information about the units for pressure would be in the documentation for the device.

The way in which velocity is transferred would be in the documentation for the device.

The way in which option information is transferred would be in the documentation for the device if the option processing is built into the device. However, there is a possibility that the option area is simply an area of convenience and that option processing would have to be done in the program. Are the options available even when no computer is connected? If so then processing of options is built in; if option processing requires a running program on the laptop then you would need to pay attention to where on the device the user is pressing in order to know if they are in the option area.

[rahul sharma]

thanks for the reply.

I don't know that much about usb but whiteboard is just like(in terms of usb) a device similar to, say, usb mouse.It's just like any smart phones where you can write using stylus or from fingers. It gets connected to my laptop in the same way as you connect a usb mouse.

isn't it possible that i can read the input format from the data obtained

calculate the pressure variation(dots per inch) like using any image processing toolbox(not from the data obtained)

speed with which the user in writing from the data rate that is being transferred into my laptop.

so in all, are you saying that i should look into the software that is being used in smart board for pressure calculation, writing speed of user and event handling?

[Walter Roberson]

There is a possibility that the data format being used is relatively self-explanatory, but chances are that you will need the hardware documentation (or a good users manual) to work it out.

If it is acting like a mouse except with pressure information available, then it is going to be using a binary format that will probably not be obvious.

Image Processing Toolbox assumes you have a matrix of information, such as a matrix of pixels all acquired simultaneously. Pressure information, though, is streaming information, "I'm at X, Y and my pressure is now 13.18; I'm at P, Q and my pressure is now 12.94". Very different kinds of input.